Mr. Speaker, first, allow me to congratulate all members of this House who were elected on January 23. This is a show of trust, until proven otherwise.
Let us look at the so-called universal $1,200 allowance for families with children under six. We are now learning that this allowance will be tax free for low income families. Pardon me, but that smacks of improvisation. The federal government is getting very much involved in the area of family policy, which is in the jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces. In fact, Quebec and the provinces, and they alone, know how to manage their family policies properly, with all their ins and outs.
I would like to emphasize certain elements of a recent study published by three professors from the University of Sherbrooke:
Providing an allowance of $1,200 a year to parents with children six and under could impoverish low income families, and single mothers in particular—
The study also states:
—should Ottawa pay $1,200 to families instead of transferring funding to the Quebec government, Quebec will be forced to raise daycare fees and ask parents to contribute a larger share.
Let us not forget that the [name of Prime Minister] government's initiative will deprive Quebec of some $800 million.
The end result varies depending on assumptions or scenarios. Abject poverty, measured one way, could be increased by up to 60%.
Finally, these professors also consider that such a shift could act as a barrier to employment.
I think it is obvious that this policy is another trick the Conservatives have learned from the Liberals, a trick to boost their visibility: a maple leaf on a $1,200 cheque. I do not think that the government's objectives can be achieved in that context.
I believe in the freedom of the provinces and Quebec in the area of child care. Naturally, parents who are staying at home with their children might choose to buy nicer crayons. But to say that people will enjoy greater freedom of choice with $1,200 is really improvising.